Greenskins
The Greenskins 'race is a barbaric and highly primitive society of warriors and raiders that occupy a large portion of the Warhammer World. The term "''Greenskins" is a common collective description used by many civilized nations to refer to the forces of the Orcs and Goblins and other biologically related races. The broadest division is between the Orcs, who are strong, brutish, and savage warriors, and the Goblins, who are smaller and weaker, but cunning and conniving creatures. The Greenskin race is considered by man to be the scourge of civilization itself. These tribal warriors are war-like, raiding ceaselessly, carrying war and barbarism to every corner of the World. Time and again, hordes of Greenskins would arise without warning and lay waste to great swaths of destruction that has no direction or intent except for simple violence. The Greenskin race as a whole is violent, an ever increasing mass of warfare that has the potential to dominate and cover the entire World in a seething green tide. However, the Greenskins tendency for warfare has created a division within their society that has ensured their race shall never reach such a height. Each and every Greenskin is a born warrior, and as such they fight each other just as much as the other races of the Warhammer World. Since the dawn of their history, the Greenskins have been plagued by a never-ending series of strife and civil war that has consumed millions of their own kind. Though such a disunion would often spell the destruction of their race, such are the Greenskins adept ability to both survive and thrive in the most harshest of environments has ensured the continuation of their species. Without the proper knowledge or unity to progress past even the most basic foundations for a civilization, the Greenskin race cannot amount to anything better than primitive savages in the eyes of the World. History The Greenskin race arrived in the world at some unknown point in the World's pre-history. The most likely explanations are that their insidious spores were either mistakenly introduced to the world by the starships of the Old Ones or that they drifted through space and arrived in the world by some other means. Ever since then, the greenskins have spread to become an ever present and belligerent enemy of the other races. So primitive and backward were the Greenskins during the earlier years of their existance that the only sensible record of their appearance will always be kept by the very nations that they have attacked and conquered. The first records of their existance was written and kept by the Dwarfs of the Golden Age following the horrific catastrophe known as the '''Time of Woes. The Great Migration: The Time of Woes (-1500 to -1449 IC) At around an unspecific point of time, the Greenskin race have grown considerably over the last centuries and has since occupied a large region of territory within the Eastern Hemisphere of the World, with little to no records detailing the exact location of the Greenskins original homeland. What was certain was that upon the year of -1550 IC, a great cataclysm rippled throughout the very foundations of the World. Great tremors rocked the mountains like the banging of thunder, causing great avalanches and chasm to appear throughout the mountain ranges. Great tidal waves rose from the sea and crashed against the coast, flowing over the lowlands and consuming all in its path. Long dormant volcanoes erupted within the East and the lands was scarred for all eternity by geysers, lava, and earthquakes. In the wake of this cataclysm, the entire Greenskin race have begun a mighty exodus towards the lands of the West. As this mighty migration tramples all in its path, the petty tribal kingdoms of Mankind rose up to face their savage assault, but have inevitably failed. Battered and broken, the tribes of Mankind have also begun a mass exodus to the west, hoping to enter into the relative conforts of the Old World where they hope to evade the clutches of the Greenskin. Like a green tide, the Greenskin race moved unopposed in their rampage until finally they reached the foothills of the World's Edge Mountain. Upon those distant peaks, the Greenskins fell upon the ancient and once powerful civilization of the Dwarfen race. Attacking from above and below, the Greenskins surged through the broken battlements of their once mighty Holds and slay all in their path. Thus began a time of warfare that the Humans and Dwarf have approprately called the Goblin Wars -- for the Goblins were the most numerous of the Greenskin invaders. The Goblin Wars (-1449 to -250 IC) The first attack came just after the last aftershock was finished. Unidentified enemies infiltrated the Dwarfs underground networks in impeccable numbers, and soon outpost and small strongholds became under attack. With the walls and gates of their once formidable fortress now cracked open by the earthquakes, the scattered Dwarfs quickly became outnumbered and surrounded. The first to fall from his massive onslaught was the Dwarf stronghold of Karak Ungor. Taking advantage of the chaos, a wave of Night Goblin tribes emerged within the very center of the city, taking the Dwarfs of Karak Ungor completely by surprise. Using their speed and overwhelming numbers, the Night Goblins took level after level from the Dwarfs. Defiant to the last, knots of warriors and militia rose up to meet the invaders back to back, attempting to hold the Night Goblins off in key locations until the population could evacuate. The King of Karak Ungor, King Kargsson of the Stonehelm Clan lead a counter-attack that gave enough time for the woman and children to evacuate. With all of the population accounted for, the King ordered to finally abandoned the city and make their journey towards the strongholds of Karak Kadrin and Zhufbar. King Kargsson never made it, for he valiantly closed the tunnels behind him as the enemy began their final decisive attack. With the enemies controlling both the surface and the underground tunnels, communication between the holds was lost. The next attack upon the Dwarfs came upon the mineral-rich stronghold of Karak Varn. Known famously for the largest deposit of gromril in the world, when the great earthquakes struck, the lower workings of the stronghold became flooded by the nearby lake of Black Water. Without any warning, Skaven armies coming from the city of Skavenblight attacked the lower workings while an army of Orcs besiege the city from above. Caught between two massive armies, the Dwarfs stood little chance. Despite the stout defences erected by the Dwarfs, after nearly a year of fighting, the city of Karak Varn was inevitably taken. Most of the stubborn population fought to the bitter end, with only a handful of clans managing to evacuate and reach the safety of Zhufbar. After the fall of Karak Varn, a series of defeats were further inflicted upon the Dwarfs at many locations within the World's Edge Mountain. Columns of smoke rose high above the peaks as surface settlements and mines were put to the torch. Refugees that survived the attacks attempts to cross the mountain passes to reach the other holds, but these places were clogged with Greenskin armies streaming into Dwarf territory. As the war escalates, the Underway became a warzone between armies of Night Goblins and Skavens seeking to control the tunnel networks as their own. To the south, the mines of Ekrund was sacked by an army of Orcs, driving the Dwarfs out of the resource-rich Dragonback Mountains. The Gold and Brimstone mines of Gunbad were also taken by a host of Night Goblins of the Red Eye Tribe. After being besieged for several decades, the stronghold of Mount Silverspear was lost to the Orcs as well. In time, the entire eastern edge of the World's Edge Mountain was lost to the Greenskins. Soon, the Dwarfs eventually lost three more major strongholds in the span of fifty years. Karak Eight Peak, the second strongest mountain Kingdom of the Dwarfs fell to the Greenskins and Ratmen in -513 IC. Karak Azgal was stormed and sacked by an Orc army in -493 IC, only to be forced out as a Dragon delved into the tunnels and claimed the hold as his own in. Karak Drazh was attacked and captured by the Orcs the very same year, eventually becoming the new Greenskin fortress of Black Crag. After nearly a thousand years, the Goblin Wars was nearing its end, and should the Dwarfs not stop the Greenskins soon, nothing would stop them from conquering the whole of the Old World. Orc Orcish sub-speicies are a race truly built for war. Though the average Orc stands around the height of a man, they would tower over humans if they only stood upright rather than in their stooped posture. They are immensely broad and solid, thick bones and dense muscle making up their frames. To an Orc there is no joy greater than that of battle, and violence is a daily part of Orc life. They are a race of berserkers who live to kill. The best thing an Orc can gain is a really good fight. Orcs are led by often tyrannical leaders called "Warlord" or "Warboss", these Orcs are towering brutes that make their brethren look like runts by comparison. For within a culture dominated by bullies, naturally the biggest and strongest bully will dominate the others. The only way to become Warboss is to kill the current Warboss in a straight up fight to the death. Luckily for Orcs they grow constantly through their lives and eventually one will become big and tough enough to challenge the current leader. It is only when the Orc faces an even bigger and stronger Orc does this extreme growth rate begin to slow down. *''The Common Orc is the most broadest sub-grouping of the Orcish sub-species. Orcs are naturally large creatures with long arms and short legs, huge slabs of muscle move under tough green skin, and their jaws are lined with vicious fangs that jut out from their underbite. They have beady red eyes, a generally foul demeanor, and are naturally bald. Normally six feet tall, they can be up to seven feet tall when stretched out of their characteristic stoop. They respect power and strength, and naturally tend towards becoming bigger and stronger as they rise through their society. While they lack even the most basic intelligence of more advanced races, Orcs possess immense cunning and survival instinct, but rarely adopt new tactics to replace their fondness for close quarters brutality. They are usually armed with a simple Choppa (a catch all term for any close combat weapon) and some type of crude armor to protect themselves. *'Savage Orc a more primitive and more brutal of the Orc tribes in that they are nearly completely naked, and instead of relying on the iron weapons and armor of their cousins they rely on savage tattoos and crudely made weapons made of simple wood, stone, and bones. They are considered stone age primitive, even in Orc standards. They populated the Badlands and Darklands, often aiding the Orc tribes in battle against other foes. They are known to ride large boars into battle. *Black Orcs ' are more a powerful breed of orcs. Black Orcs were originally created by the evil Chaos Dwarves to use as slaves, but have since rebelled and found a place in regular Orc armies. They are even bigger, stronger and meaner than regular Orcs, and so tend towards command roles. They are not above forming their own units though. Though other Orcs tend to look down on Black Orc intelligence, Black Orcs are, if not smarter, at the very least more well-organized. They are above the petty infighting (called Animosity in-game) that happens in most tribes and settle their differences with other Greenskins with orderly head-butting contests. Being the largest of Orcs and having an air of authority, Black Orcs confiscate large amounts of the heaviest armour from the camp and march to battle carrying a variety of weapons. But they are also the most arrogant in their feeling of superiority towards the other orc tribes. Goblins Goblins are diminutive and frail in every sense compared to an Orc. They make up for this by having vast numbers and low-cunning. Often used as slaves, Goblins nonetheless fulfill an important role in Greenskin society. They are intelligent enough to craft crude weapons, gather food and establish the huts and homes of their larger and more dull-witted Orcish cousins. Orcs are too thick and lazy to be counted on anything other than fighting, so the relationship between the Orcs and Goblins are essential but not equal. This pairing allows the Orcs to have a stable and reliable workforce whilst the Goblins gain their brutal protection against other foes. *''The Common Goblin ''is the most broadest sub-grouping of the Gobliod sub-species. Hardly brave and effective warriors, they rely on huge numbers to overwhem their foes, using small spears, bows, and even using creatures called Squigs to aid them in killing larger or stronger enemies. Much shorter then their larger counsin they are often builled into servitude amongst the many Greenskin tribes, However, they are particular clever and cunning compared to the Orcs, and as such are the "somwhat" capable builders and craftsmen of the tribes. *Forest Goblins are a sub-grouping of forest dwelling Goblins living in nearly all heavily forested areas within the Old World. They possess the same appearance and characteristics as their Savage Orcs cousins, often living in a even more primitive lifestyle than other Greenskins, wearing nothing but loin cloth and war paint, with some even wearing tribal mask heavily adored with feathers. They use simple wood and flint tools and decorate themselves with an assortment of animal bones. Forest Goblins would often worship the giant spiders of the forest, viewing them as gods of the wilds. * Night Goblins are a sub-grouping of subterranian Goblins who live in the deep undergrounds or caverns of massive mountain ranges. They hate the light of any source and would barely leave out of their homes during the day. The most infamous of the Night Goblin Tribes are the Red Eye Tribe, who currently dwell within the caverns of Gunbad Mountain. There are known to wear very dark or black clothing to better shield their light-sensitive skin from the sun. * Gnoblars, and the rarer '''Boglars', are an offshoot of the Goblin species and share that race's diminutive size, as well as its cruel and vindictive nature. They also share the Goblin's capacity for, or rather, lack of, valor. They are cowards by nature who only fight in large numbers or when otherwise assured of victory. Unlike the Goblins, the Gnoblars traded their services with the Ogres instead of the Orcs, and as such are often bullied by Ogre bulls into being cannon fodder and, sometimes, ammunition for leadbelchers. The most noticably difference between them and the Goblins is their wider fatter nose and their bluish-green color. * Snotlings ''' are the smallest of the green-skinned races. They are notoriously unintelligent creatues, and left to their own devices they are known to spend their days scavenging in the rubbish heaps in Greenskin camps, stealing any scraps of food or small trinkets they can get their hands on. They have the temprament of extremely enthusiastic and uncontrollable puppies, and their larger Orc and Goblin cousins usually try to capture them and train them to do tricks or basic jobs, such as fetching and carrying equipment, as they are little use for any real menial labour, and as such most of the work goes to their larger Goblin cousins. Almost all Greenskin tribes like to keep a small swarm of Snotlings with them. Even if they're not much good in a fight, they can come in useful as a light snack. * Hobgoblins are amongst the most evilest creatures in the world, that is not tainted nor corrupted by the dark influence of Chaos, (exception will be the Dark Elves). They are ever more evil, cunning, and backstabbing then their shorter cousins, and many times in their culture the term "backstab a friend" is so true, that Hobgoblins have grown a strong back bone-plate from which a backstab will mostly happen. Similiar to other Gobliod sub-groupings, Hobgoblins have found their services needed by the Chaos Dwarfs of the Dark Lands, but unlike the Goblins, they have a higher status amongst the Dwarfs, and often act as Overseers and Slavemasters to the many slave-pens that dot the Chaos Dwarf Empire. Society Orcs and Goblins live in countless barbaric tribes. There are some tribes which include only Goblins or only Orcs, but the majority include both. In these mixed tribes the Orcs will always dominate the smaller and weaker Goblins. Goblin tribes don't have any Orcs at all, as any self-respecting Orc will quickly become the tribe's Boss.Almost all Orcs are huge, brutal creatures. On average they stand taller than a man and are stronger and tougher. They are vicious and brutal, with an abundance of brute force and very little brain power. Orcs loves nothing more than a good fight, even against other Orcs. Goblins are a lot smaller and weaker than Orcs. However they are quite cunning and smart, and love nothing more than to trick and trade with their slow-witted relatives. On the whole they are a rather cowardly lot, and prefer to attack with a huge advantage of numbers and, if possible, from a safe distance. As a result they are average archers but rather poor fighters. The leadership of the tribe nearly always belongs to the largest and strongest individual who will impose his rule by any mean necessary. Rivals are defeated in savage fights and most fights are not meant to be fair at all. If an Orc Boss is weakened or wounded his rule will quickly be challenged by an ambitious Big Un'. The Big Unz are veteran Orc warriors and are likely a Warboss' lieutenants. They usually lead smaller warbands or form their own elite warband and a wise Boss will always watch his Big Unz closely. Nearly all tribes also have Orc and Goblin Shamans, save for Blac Orcs, who view Shamans as fools. The shamans are always regarded with respect and fear by most Greenskins. Most of them are quite content to be feared advisors of, and second only in position to the Boss himself, while some rare ambitious shamans manage to usurp this position. Greenskin Tribes Although there are untold numbers of Greenskin tribes living in the Warhammer World, some are more noticable then others, due to pass Battles, notorious Waaggh, or famous Warbosses that once lead these tribes. ''Ork Tribes'' *Bloody Sun Boyz *Iron Claw Tribe *One Tusk Tribe *Broketoof Boyz *Blue Face Orcs *Broken Tooth Orcs *Red Fang Orcs ''Goblin Tribes''' *Broken Axe Goblins *Broken Nose Goblins *Black Spider Forest Goblins *Bloody Spear Night Goblins *Yellow Eye Goblins *Moonfang Goblin Tribe Notable Warboss Famous Warbosses There have been many infamous Orc warbosses in the annals of history. Some who have led massive armies of their kind, called WAAAGH's, which are strong enough to have the Empire alarmed. Such legendary individuals include Gorbad Ironhide and Azhag the Slaughterer. Young Orcs are often told mythical tales of these warriors who bloodied the other races in spectacular fights. *Gorbad Ironclaw - Atop his vicious boar Gnarla, was the mightiest Warlord that ever lived (in the warhammer fantasy universe). Gorbad Ironclaw and his tribe, the Ironclaw Orcs, absorbed the Broken Tooth tribe along with the local Goblin and Night Goblin tribes, to create a massive force of Greenskin warriors. *Azhag the Slaughterer - An already powerful warlord who ruled over a great many tribes in the Badlands, Azhag's tale truly began after he unearthed an ancient magic crown in the ruined city of Todtheim. But this was no simple trinket: this was the Crown of Sorcery, an ancient artifact of the Great Necromancer, Nagash, and the ancient Liche's insidious spirit still clung to the artifact. *Grimgor Ironhide - is currently the single most violent Black Orc Warboss ever to exist. He leads tribes of vicious Orcs to lay waste all across the Old World. *Grom the Pauch - was formally a hugely obese extremely fierce Goblin Warlord who ransacked not only the empire, but the fabled realm of Ulthuan. According to legend he once ate a plate of raw Troll meat, and this continues to regenerate within him, a reason for his such obese body. *Skarsnik - is the chieftain of the Crooked Moon tribe and the most powerful Night Goblin Warlord in the whole of the World's Edge Mountain. Skarsnik is infamous amongst the greenskin race for his astonishing sneakiness and cunning in strategy and subterfuge. Sources *''Armybook: Orcs and Goblins (8th Edition) -- pg 6 - 20, 32 - 50, 55 Category:Warhammer Fantasy Armies Category:Greenskins Category:Races Category:G Category:Creatures Category:Monsters